CFAES researchers Jeremy Bruskotter, Nicole Hengst, and Matthew Shumar, all of the School of Environment and Natural Resources, will be among the presenters at the 60th annual Ohio Wildlife Conference on Jan. 24 in Columbus.
At Home
CFAES urban coyote expert: Bites on people ‘extremely rare’
NPR recently interviewed CFAES researcher Stan Gehrt in light of two recent attacks by coyotes on Chicagoans. Gehrt’s pioneering study of urban coyotes, started 20 years ago and still underway, is based in metro Chicago. Listen to the interview (3 minutes) or read the transcript.
Ohio Maple Days set for January
By Gary Graham, Maple Syrup Specialist, OSU Extension
Ohio had a great maple season in 2019, with lots of good-quality syrup. Now is the time to get prepared for the 2020 season at CFAES’ Ohio Maple Days workshops.
Breakfast to feature Ohio soil experts
The next monthly breakfast program by the CFAES-based Environmental Professionals Network will have you “Digging in With Ohio’s Soil Experts”—including Rattan Lal, CFAES’ 2019 Japan Prize laureate and Glinka World Soil Prize recipient—on the hows and whys of having healthy soils. It’s set for Wednesday, Dec. 4, the day before World Soil Day. Unearth details and register to join us.
He gives (real) buckeyes to Buckeyes
Doug Malone, pictured above, is an Ohio State “Redcoat”—a part-time worker-ambassador at university athletic events—who gives gleaming, rich-brown, actual Ohio buckeye nuts to Ohio State football players right before home games. It’s a tradition he’s carrying on from his late father. The Ohio State News video above tells his story.
The Ohio buckeye, Aesculus glabra, is Ohio State’s symbol, Ohio’s state tree, and can be grown as part of a sustainable landscape. But it takes a couple of considerations about how you tend it and where you plant it—worth it if you’re a fan of native plants, the Buckeyes, or both. Read tips from CFAES experts on how to grow your own Ohio buckeye tree.
Thursday: Will farming changes be enough to meet Lake Erie’s phosphorus goal?
CFAES researchers will present “Evaluating Management Options to Reduce Lake Erie Algal Blooms With Models of the Maumee River Watershed” during a public press conference at 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, on Ohio State’s Columbus campus. The event, the researchers say, will answer the question, “If agricultural landowners were to adopt a combination of feasible best management practices, could we reduce phosphorus enough to meet the targets set by the United States and Canada?”
CFAES’ Dave Apsley enters ‘Forest of Honor’
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry (DOF) recently honored Dave Apsley, natural resources specialist with CFAES’ OSU Extension outreach arm, for his outstanding contributions to forestry. In a “Forest of Honor” ceremony on Oct. 17 in Zaleski State Forest in southeast Ohio, trees were planted to recognize Apsley and two other honorees.
CFAES alum Alan Wentz receives Aldo Leopold wildlife award
W. Alan Wentz, PhD, who earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural and biological conservation from Ohio State in 1969 and is a 1999 recipient of CFAES’ Distinguished Alumni Award, was recognized with the Aldo Leopold Memorial Award for distinguished service to wildlife conservation in Reno, Nevada, on Oct. 1 at the joint meeting of The Wildlife Society and American Fisheries Society.
How to eat well and under budget—and also why it matters
It’s surprisingly inexpensive to eat good, healthy foods—as little as $4.50 per person per day—according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a Nov. 1 CFAES “Chow Line” column.
Lake Erie’s algal bloom was twice as bad as last year’s
This summer’s harmful algal bloom in Lake Erie was twice as severe as last year’s—7.3 compared to 3.6, respectively, on a severity index of 1–10—and was slightly less than 2017’s, which was rated at 8. That’s according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a Nov. 4 story on cleveland.com. Chris Winslow, director of Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory, was quoted in the story.